Safety and Immunogenicity of a Human Papillomavirus Peptide Vaccine (CIGB-228) in Women with High-Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: First-in-Human, Proof-of-Concept Trial.

Objective. CIGB-228 is a novel therapeutic vaccine consisting of HLA-restricted HPV16 E7 epitope adjuvated with VSSP. This trial was designed to evaluate the toxicity, safety, immunogenicity, HPV clearance, and lesion regression. Methods. Seven women were entered. All were HLA-A2 positive, had biopsy-proven high-grade CIN, histologically positive for HPV16, and beared persistent postbiopsy lesions visible by digital colposcopy. HLA-A2 women with biopsy-proven high-grade CIN, HPV16-positive, and beared persistent postbiopsy lesions visible by digital colposcopy were vaccinated. One weekly injections of CIGB-228 vaccine was given for four weeks. Then, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) of the transformation zone was performed. Study subjects were followed for 1 year after LEEP. Results. No toxicity beyond grade 1 was observed during and after the four vaccinations. Five of seven women had complete and partial regression. Cellular immune response was seen in all patients. HPV was cleared in three of the patients with complete response. Conclusion. CIGB-228 vaccination was well tolerated and capable to induce IFNγ-associated T-cell response in women with high-grade CIN. In several patients, lesion regression and HPV clearance were observed.

Safety and Immunogenicity of a Human Papillomavirus Peptide Vaccine (CIGB-228) in Women with High-Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: First-in-Human, Proof-of-Concept Trial

Objective. CIGB-228 is a novel therapeutic vaccine consisting of HLA-restricted HPV16 E7 epitope adjuvated with VSSP. This trial was designed to evaluate the toxicity, safety, immunogenicity, HPV clearance, and lesion regression. Methods. Seven women were entered. All were HLA-A2 positive, had biopsy-proven high-grade CIN, histologically positive for HPV16, and beared persistent postbiopsy lesions visible by digital colposcopy. HLA-A2 women with biopsy-proven high-grade CIN, HPV16-positive, and beared persistent postbiopsy lesions visible by digital colposcopy were vaccinated. One weekly injections of CIGB-228 vaccine was given for four weeks. Then, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) of the transformation zone was performed. Study subjects were followed for 1 year after LEEP. Results. No toxicity beyond grade 1 was observed during and after the four vaccinations. Five of seven women had complete and partial regression. Cellular immune response was seen in all patients. HPV was cleared in three of the patients with complete response. Conclusion. CIGB-228 vaccination was well tolerated and capable to induce IFN𝛾-associated T-cell response in women with high-grade CIN. In several patients, lesion regression and HPV clearance were observed(AU)

Safety and preliminary efficacy data of a novel casein kinase 2 (CK2) peptide inhibitor administered intralesionally at four dose levels in patients with cervical malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is now considered the second leading cause of death among women worldwide, and its incidence has reached alarming levels, especially in developing countries. Similarly, high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), the precursor stage for cervical cancer, represents a growing health problem among younger women as the HSIL management regimes that have been developed are not fully effective. From the etiological point of view, the presence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has been demonstrated to play a crucial role for developing cervical malignancies, and viral DNA has been detected in 99.7% of cervical tumors at the later stages. CIGB-300 is a novel cyclic synthetic peptide that induces apoptosis in malignant cells and elicits antitumor activity in cancer animal models. CIGB-300 impairs the Casein Kinase (CK2) phosphorylation, by targeting the substrate's phosphoaceptor domain. Based on the perspectives of CIGB-300 to treat cancer, this "first-in-human" study investigated its safety and tolerability in patients with cervical malignancies. METHODS: Thirty-one women with colposcopically and histologically diagnosed microinvasive or pre-invasive cervical cancer were enrolled in a dose escalating study. CIGB-300 was administered sequentially at 14, 70, 245 and 490 mg by intralesional injections during 5 consecutive days to groups of 7 - 10 patients. Toxicity was monitored daily until fifteen days after the end of treatment, when patients underwent conization. Digital colposcopy, histology, and HPV status were also evaluated. RESULTS: No maximum-tolerated dose or dose-limiting toxicity was achieved. The most frequent local events were pain, bleeding, hematoma and erythema at the injection site. The systemic adverse events were rash, facial edema, itching, hot flashes, and localized cramps. 75% of the patients experienced a significant lesion reduction at colposcopy and 19% exhibited full histological regression. HPV DNA was negative in 48% of the previously positive patients. Long term follow-up did not reveal recurrences or adverse events. CONCLUSION: CIGB 300 was safe and well tolerated. This is the first clinical trial where a drug has been used to target the CK2 phosphoaceptor domain providing an early proof-of-principle of a possible clinical benefit.

Safety and preliminary efficacy data of a novel Casein Kinase 2 (CK2) peptide inhibitor administered intralesionally at four dose levels in patients with cervical malignancies

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is now considered the second leading cause of death among women worldwide, and its incidence has reached alarming levels, especially in developing countries. Similarly, high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), the precursor stage for cervical cancer, represents a growing health problem among younger women as the HSIL management regimes that have been developed are not fully effective. From the etiological point of view, the presence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has been demonstrated to play a crucial role for developing cervical malignancies, and viral DNA has been detected in 99.7 percent of cervical tumors at the later stages. CIGB-300 is a novel cyclic synthetic peptide that induces apoptosis in malignant cells and elicits antitumor activity in cancer animal models. CIGB-300 impairs the Casein Kinase (CK2) phosphorylation, by targeting the substrate's phosphoaceptor domain. Based on the perspectives of CIGB-300 to treat cancer, this first-in-human study investigated its safety and tolerability in patients with cervical malignancies. METHODS: Thirty-one women with colposcopically and histologically diagnosed microinvasive or pre-invasive cervical cancer were enrolled in a dose escalating study. CIGB-300 was administered sequentially at 14, 70, 245 and 490 mg by intralesional injections during 5 consecutive days to groups of 7 - 10 patients. Toxicity was monitored daily until fifteen days after the end of treatment, when patients underwent conization. Digital colposcopy, histology, and HPV status were also evaluated. RESULTS: No maximum-tolerated dose or dose-limiting toxicity was achieved. The most frequent local events were pain, bleeding, hematoma and erythema at the injection site....(AU)

Comparación entre el diagnóstico prenatal y anatomopatológico de las anomalías congénitas / Correlation between prenatal diagnosis of congenital malformations and pathological studies

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de 358 necropsias de fetos, mortinatos y neonatos, analizadas en el Departamento de Anatomía Patológica del hospital ginecoobstétrico Ramón González Coro, de Ciudad de La Habana, entre los años 1996 y 2004. Fueron descartados 144 casos que no cumplían los criterios de inclusión. Las anomalías encontradas se clasificaron sobre la base del sistema anatómico mayor afectado. Se comparó la información obtenida del examen sonográfico y el anatomopatológico, con el objetivo de establecer la relación entre el diagnóstico prenatal por ultrasonido y el estudio necrópsico. La coincidencia diagnóstica entre ambos métodos de estudio fue del 82,41 porciento. El grupo de malformaciones encontrado con mayor frecuencia en las necropsias, fueron las cerebroespinales, con un 30,99 porciento, de las cuales el 13,61 porciento eran defectos del tubo neural. En este grupo, el 100 porciento de las anencefalias se diagnosticó sonográficamente y el 73 porciento de las espinas bífidas. Evaluando posteriormente a partir del examen ultrasonográfico, se encontraron 199 casos con diagnóstico de una malformación específica y el sistema mayormente afectado, fue el cerebroespinal (34,14 porciento). De estos diagnósticos positivos, 133 casos revelaron hallazgos necrópsicos idénticos (81,1 porciento), y fueron las anomalías cerebroespinales y las cardiovasculares las que mostraron mayor exactitud diagnóstica. En 31 casos se describieron hallazgos adicionales, para un 18,9 porciento y de ellos, 54,83 porciento tuvieron significado clínico. El diagnóstico prenatal se realizó antes de las 26 semanas de gestación en el 81,4 porciento y en el 18,6 porciento, después que la paciente sobrepasó las 26 semanas.

This is a retrospective study of 358 necropsies of stilbirths and newborns, performed at the Pathological Department of the Ramón Gonzßlez Coro Hospital, in Havana, between 1996 and 2004. Anomalies found were classified according to the major anatomic system affected. The aim of the study was to compare the ultrasound prenatal diagnosis and the pathological findings after the necropsy. In 82,41 percent of the cases, there was a coincidence between the two methods. Brain and spinal anomalies were the most frequent (30,99 percent). In this group, ultrasound examination identified all cases of anencephaly and 73 percent of cases with spina bifida. The correlation between ultrasound examination and necropsy was higher in cases of brain and cardiovascular malformations. Prenatal diagnosis was done before 26 weeks gestation in 81,4 percent of cases.

Comparación entre el diagnóstico prenatal y anatomopatológico de las anomalías congénitas / Correlation between prenatal diagnosis of congenital malformations and pathological studies

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de 358 necropsias de fetos, mortinatos y neonatos, analizadas en el Departamento de Anatomía Patológica del hospital ginecoobstétrico Ramón González Coro, de Ciudad de La Habana, entre los años 1996 y 2004. Fueron descartados 144 casos que no cumplían los criterios de inclusión. Las anomalías encontradas se clasificaron sobre la base del sistema anatómico mayor afectado. Se comparó la información obtenida del examen sonográfico y el anatomopatológico, con el objetivo de establecer la relación entre el diagnóstico prenatal por ultrasonido y el estudio necrópsico. La coincidencia diagnóstica entre ambos métodos de estudio fue del 82,41 porciento. El grupo de malformaciones encontrado con mayor frecuencia en las necropsias, fueron las cerebroespinales, con un 30,99 porciento, de las cuales el 13,61 porciento eran defectos del tubo neural. En este grupo, el 100 porciento de las anencefalias se diagnosticó sonográficamente y el 73 porciento de las espinas bífidas. Evaluando posteriormente a partir del examen ultrasonográfico, se encontraron 199 casos con diagnóstico de una malformación específica y el sistema mayormente afectado, fue el cerebroespinal (34,14 porciento). De estos diagnósticos positivos, 133 casos revelaron hallazgos necrópsicos idénticos (81,1 porciento), y fueron las anomalías cerebroespinales y las cardiovasculares las que mostraron mayor exactitud diagnóstica. En 31 casos se describieron hallazgos adicionales, para un 18,9 porciento y de ellos, 54,83 porciento tuvieron significado clínico. El diagnóstico prenatal se realizó antes de las 26 semanas de gestación en el 81,4 porciento y en el 18,6 porciento, después que la paciente sobrepasó las 26 semanas(AU)

This is a retrospective study of 358 necropsies of stilbirths and newborns, performed at the Pathological Department of the Ramón González Coro Hospital, in Havana, between 1996 and 2004. Anomalies found were classified according to the major anatomic system affected. The aim of the study was to compare the ultrasound prenatal diagnosis and the pathological findings after the necropsy. In 82,41 percent of the cases, there was a coincidence between the two methods. Brain and spinal anomalies were the most frequent (30,99 percent). In this group, ultrasound examination identified all cases of anencephaly and 73 percent of cases with spina bifida. The correlation between ultrasound examination and necropsy was higher in cases of brain and cardiovascular malformations. Prenatal diagnosis was done before 26 weeks gestation in 81,4 percent of cases(AU)